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Board adopts emergency addendum to Policy 2111 to meet federal filing deadline
Summary
The board used an emergency bylaw to add language to Policy 2111 (Parent and Family Engagement) after counsel recommended wording to satisfy the federal Department of Education's Title VI-related submission requirement.
The Solon Board of Education on April 21 approved an addendum to Policy 2111 (Parent and Family Engagement) and invoked Bylaw 0131 to approve the change on an emergency basis so the district could meet a federal filing deadline cited by the superintendent and legal counsel.
Superintendent (unnamed in the transcript) told the board the U.S. Department of Education had issued guidance that required districts to attest they would not engage in discriminatory practices, and that the district needed to submit an attestation by the end of the week. The superintendent and district counsel reviewed existing policies and concluded the district’s policies were nondiscriminatory but that Policy 2111 could be interpreted in a way that might not align with that federal expectation. Counsel recommended an addendum clarifying that attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, disabled, limited-English-proficient, or of racial or ethnic minority backgrounds is intended to ensure equitable engagement and is not meant to disadvantage or favor other families.
Nut graf: The emergency action was framed as a compliance step so the district could submit required documentation to the U.S. Department of Education by the federal deadline while preserving the district’s commitment to nondiscrimination and inclusive family engagement.
Board members said they had reviewed the policies during a prior meeting and that the only new language requiring emergency action was the addendum to Policy 2111. The board voted to approve the policy package and to authorize the emergency approval under Bylaw 0131.
Ending: The superintendent said the district would submit the required attestation and continue to communicate its family‑engagement approach to the public and counsel.
